We often talk about how we are not a treatment center or IOP, but what exactly does that mean?
How The Magdalen House Is Not a Treatment Center
1. Our services and programs are always free
The Magdalen House is completely free. While most treatment centers require some form of payment or health insurance, at Maggie’s we require neither.
Our two main programs include our First Step, a two-week residential program, and Next Step, a three-phase non-residential program. Women who are seeking help for their alcoholism call for a phone screening for either and receive services at absolutely no cost.
Learn more about our programs and services at magdalenhouse.org/help
2. We offer Next Step, an alternative to IOP
While most treatment centers offer an intensive outpatient program (or IOP), which usually costs more and requires several hours a day of continued counseling or therapy, The Magdalen House offers The Next Step, a no-cost alternative.
Read more: The Next Step: A Supportive, Educational, No-Cost Alternative to Clinical Out-Patient Treatment
3. We provide a social detox, not a medical detox
At The Magdalen House, we offer a social detox program rather than a medical detox. Our First Step program is peer-based and driven by qualified and trained staff members and volunteers. On the other hand, a medical detox, commonly found at treatment centers, is run by medical professionals who may administer detox medications.
4. The Magdalen House is actually a house
We are in a home setting with a small population of women. Clients in our First Step program learn to get back into a daily routine by completing house chores, participating in group meditation, cooking meals together, and so much more. This setting helps our clients feel like they are part of a family and a community and is different than a traditional treatment which can look and feel more like a medical facility.
5. We exist to make recovery available for every alcoholic woman who wants help
All of our programs and services offer a place where our clients and visitors can be surrounded by women who suffer from alcoholism and are actively pursuing freedom in recovery. These programs not only allow us to serve alcoholic women at any stage of their recovery, but they also provide an environment where women do not feel different than each other. Instead, these women connect and feel like they belong to a community.
6. We offer a simple, proven spiritual solution that really works
The Magdalen House offers one simple solution: a spiritual program of action. This is helpful and life-changing for women who have tried every other way they can think of to get sober. Most, if not all, treatment centers focus on a clinical or medical solution. Some treatment centers integrate 12-Steps as a portion of their programming, but we completely immerse clients in the spiritual program of action offered in the 12-Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
7. Family visitation is available every day
While clients are in our 14-day First Step program, their family members and loved ones can visit daily. Our data shows that our completion rates increase significantly with women who have the support of their families and loved ones. Treatment centers vary in their family visitation policies. While some treatment centers limit family visitation to a single day of the week, others restrict family visitation to once a month or don’t allow any visitation at all. Additionally, we have Community Partners that we refer out to like Nexus, which offers services for mothers where their children can stay with them during treatment.
8. We offer a peer-implemented curriculum
Our community of recovered alcoholic women is uniquely qualified to guide and equip newly sober women to find a solution. Classes, meetings, and workshops – which are attended by both First Step clients and Next Step participants, and open to any woman in recovery – are peer-driven and based on the 12-Step curriculum from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Finding the Right Option for You
While we offer services that help alcoholic women recover from alcoholism, we understand that each woman has unique needs and circumstances. We are so grateful for our Community Outreach partners, both in and outside of the recovery industry, who have become a resource for our clients and their family members by providing additional services in the community. We hope this better clarifies exactly how The Magdalen House compares to a treatment center are so that women and families seeking help can be more informed when making the crucial decision of where to find help. Whether you’re interested in our First Step or Community programs or need help finding a treatment center, we are happy to help.
